BOSTON — There’s always at least one player in every playoff series whose health and availability for the games looms over every minute until the moment one team has won four games.

Patrice Bergeron is that player in the Bruins-Tampa Bay Eastern Conference Final.

This morning Bruins head coach Claude Julien wouldn’t rule out a return by the center in tomorrow’s Game 2 of the series. Bergeron skated with his teammates for part of their practice today as he continues to make his way back from a concussion.

If Bergeron returns or sits out again, the Lightning don’t care. Head coach Guy Boucher, whose team won Game 1, said his team gets ready for the games as if the opponent is whole and then relishes the opportunity if there’s someone missing from the other side.

“We’ve prepared for him playing for the first game,” said Boucher after his team’s practice at the TD Garden. “So we’re preparing for him just like we did with Pittsburgh. We told the players Sidney [Crosby] was going to play every game, and that’s the way we approach it.

“If they’re not there, we don’t add on something, we take out something. And so I think that Bergeron, we know how important he is to the team. He’s a great player. He’s a great individual. And that usually has a tendency to uplift your team in terms of confidence, and we know the impact he’s got on the faceoff. So obviously his team’s going to start with the puck a lot more often.

“It changes a lot of things in terms of the way the game is going to develop. So we’re expecting him to be there for the opening faceoff, and if he’s not, which I highly doubt, I think he’s going to be there. It just makes it way harder.”

If this was Montreal, we’d be calling him Dr. Boucher. But we’ll refrain from that type of sniping and just be impressed with Boucher’s attention to detail.

Even though we know nothing about his condition, we all know of his past with the same type of injury. The fact that his return he’s being talked about makes me sick regardless. Stanley Cup glooming or not. And let’s face it. The Bruins are in front of a bigger dog with the Bolts & their coaching staff. All of’em.

I don’t expect Bergy to play in game 2. It was good to see the flip-flop between Kelly and Peverley. Peverley had a 56% FO win during the regular season. I’d expect he’ll take the important attacking and defensive zone FO’s on those shifts.

Matt,
Recchi made a medical diagnosis on the radio saying Pacioretty’s head injury wasn’t serious because he could watch a movie. He made an ass out of himself and then later fessed up that he did it to take the “pressure” off the team captain.

Guy Boucher is doing the responsible thing by having his team ready for any circumstance. You guys ARE banking on Bergeron coming back at some point. Only a lousy coach would not be preparing for the fact.

I just think it’s pathetic that you’d even compare the two situations. He is on record in your own article praising Bergeron for his value to your club. The guy is just doing his job.
How do you give that interview such a negative slant?

If Bergeron plays at all this series, the Bruins organization should be ashamed of themselves. One more hit to the head so soon after the Giroux hit could end this guys career. To throw him into a playoff game would be suicide. Reminds me of the Eric Lindros situation. However, the Flyers and the Bruins have never been mistaken for classy organizations who care about their players.